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A new plan to cement the Goulburn Valley as a KidsTown Food Hub was launched in Mooroopna today.

The food hub project focuses on local produce and connecting communities and will be a blueprint for other regional towns in the future.

The project is a collaboration between Greater Shepparton City Council's Healthy Living department and landscape architecture firm Pollen Studio and today’s meeting – complete with a healthy lunch made from local produce – was a time for the 40 people who attended to put forward ideas on the project and discuss the impact it could have on the region.

Anna Monichino from Monichino Wines in Katunga spoke at the event and said the project could raise awareness about what farmers were currently dealing with.

‘‘We’re all suffering,’’ she said.

‘‘I’m on the Sun Country on the Murray tourism board and we’ve got the farm gate trail that shows how many little growers and producers there are in our region. There’s a lot of interest from the city in the farm gate trail and our produce. It’s gourmet country, it’s fun country, it’s everything like that. We want to bring the tourist dollar here for our economy.

‘‘It’s time to start working with the farmers – we need to keep them alive and support them.’’

Emily Ballantyne-Brodie, a sustainable designer at Sustainable Everyday Design Studio, is also involved in the project and said it could have a number of effects on the community and local economy.

‘‘The food hub could be something that has very diverse effects,’’ she said.

‘‘It’s all about health outcomes and I really want the community to connect with this project. The enthusiasm so far has been amazing.’’

More information can be found here.